Tuesday, August 02, 2005

Jim Allister rejects the offer to "speak" at the Dail

Reacting to the move which would allow some Northern Irish MPs and MEPs to have a right to speak at the Irish Dail, Jim Allister DUP MEP said: "I am elected to one foreign parliament only, and I will fulfill my mandate there and no where else. Thus I have no intention of participating in the Dail in order to promote republicanism's pretence that an all-Ireland parliament exists. If Sein Fein MPs cared for their electorate, then they'd represent them in Westminster to which they are elected. Judging Sinn Fein MEPs by their record in Strasbourg and Brussels they are clearly struggling to fulfill their mandate there, never mind pursuing phoney involvement in the Dail." It has also been reported that the DUP blamed the UUP over this issue: "the party's deputy leader Peter Robinson said he had evidence that the UUP were aware of the concession during negotiations. Sinn Féin president, Gerry Adams, said he had firm commitments from the Taoiseach that Northern politicians would be able to speak in the Dáil."